Frequently Asked Questions

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Wide Horizons Counselling provides a qualified, caring and trusted human relationship to support you as you journey through life’s challenges and joys. We are not a chatbot or AI that generates ‘good advice’ to dispense to you. Our services are relational as well as professional. 

We are committed to providing a respectful and compassionate, non-judgmental and empowering relationship that enables you to find effective ways to overcome obstacles and strengthens you to live your best life. 

Lyndal is qualified as a counsellor and  registered  as a member of the Australian Counselling Association. She undergoes regular supervision and professional training. 

It's fine to fill in the contact form with your questions and thoughts, and Wide Horizons Counselling will get back to you. We offer a free 15 minute phonecall to explain our services, for you to ask questions and work out whether this counselling works for you 

Please use the contact form, Email or phone us to make an enquiry. We will reply and give you a client intake form, counselling agreement form and a booking link so you can make a booking that suits you. 

Each session is 50 minutes, with the last 10 minutes for wrap up. The first session is about getting to know you as a person and your goals for counselling. All conversation is conducted in a gentle respectful way, with emphasis on really listening to you

The first session is about building trust and you, the client, telling your story and goals for counselling. You are also working out if this counsellor is the right one for you! The counsellor makes a counselling plan, giving you the choice of what main issues and what counselling approaches to focus on. You are in the driving seat- as you are the one to steer your life in a better direction.

It often takes 6 sessions for the client to see ongoing, sustainable change and growth incorporated into their life. Sometimes deeper issues come up that were not obvious at the first session. At times, the counsellor may refer you to another mental health practitioner who can provide more specific help in an area of need. 

Then again, sometimes one or two sessions may be enough for a client to recognise their needs and make effective change. It is you, the client, who chooses how long to continue.

There is a 2 tier cost system.  For adults the cost is $90 per session; for concession holders the cost is $65 per session.

Walk and Talk Therapy is the same price.

Self-managed NDIS clients may be able to seek reimbursement for counselling services. Please check directly with NDIS.

Clients pay by bank transfer. Payment needs to be made at the latest one day after the session. Wide Horizons Counselling will provide an invoice and receipt to you. 

We are considering adding a square as a payment option for debit and credit cards.

You can cancel for free up till 24 hours before the appointment. Any cancellation made less than 24 hours before the appointment will be charged a fee.

Wide Horizons Counselling has rooms in Tuggeranong and Queanbeyan. Also we do online sessions on a secure platform. "Walk and Talk Therapy" is outdoors.

Yes! Using a safe platform, online counselling provides a great option for those who choose not to attend face to face sessions.

 Walk and Talk therapy involves walking together in a safe place as we do our counselling session. Sometimes it is easier to share freely and deeply as we walk side by side, rather than in a room. Also there are good endorphins released through exercise and being in the fresh air. Walking promotes strong bones too! 

The walks are conducted on local safe paths away from roads. The client will need to bring a hat, water bottle and sunscreen. There will be some extra health questions on the intake form.

If the weather is poor, the session will still happen at the same time, but be moved into the counselling room.

This Privacy Policy applies to all personal information collected by Wide Horizons Counselling via the website located at www.widehorizonscounselling.com.au. 

What is "personal information"? The Privacy Act 1988 currently defines "personal information" as meaning information or an opinion about an identified individual or an individual who is reasonably identifiable: whether the information or opinion is true or not; and whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not. If the information does not disclose your identity or enable your identity to be ascertained, it will in most cases not be classified as "personal information" and will not be subject to this privacy policy. 

What information do we collect? The kind of personal information that we collect from you will depend on how you use the website. The personal information which we collect and hold about you may include: Name, Email, Phone. 

How we collect your personal information 

• We may collect personal information from you whenever you input such information into the website. 
• We also collect cookies from your computer which enable us to tell when you use the website and also to help customise your website experience. As a general rule, however, it is not possible to identify you personally from our use of cookies. 

Purpose of collection 

The purpose for which we collect personal information is to provide you with the best service experience possible on the website. We customarily disclose personal information only to our service providers who assist us in operating the website. Your personal information may also be exposed from time to time to maintenance and support personnel acting in the normal course of their duties. 

Access and correction Australian Privacy Principle 12 permits you to obtain access to the personal information we hold about you in certain circumstances, and Australian Privacy Principle 13 allows you to correct inaccurate personal information subject to certain exceptions. If you would like to obtain such access, please contact us as set out below. 

Complaint procedure If you have a complaint concerning the manner in which we maintain the privacy of your personal information, please contact us as set out below. All complaints will be considered by Wide Horizons Counselling and we may seek further information from you to clarify your concerns. If we agree that your complaint is well founded, we will, in consultation with you, take appropriate steps to rectify the problem. If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome, you may refer the matter to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. 

Overseas transfer Your personal information will not be disclosed to recipients outside Australia unless you expressly request us to do so. If you request us to transfer your personal information to an overseas recipient, the overseas recipient will not be required to comply with the Australian Privacy Principles and we will not be liable for any mishandling of your information in such circumstances. 

How to contact us about privacy If you have any queries, or if you seek access to your personal information, or if you have a complaint about our privacy practices, you can contact us through: widehorizonscounselling@gmail.com.